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Greetings First Church Family and Friends,
The Holy Family knew what it was like to face oppression under the Roman Empire. For that reason, we are dedicating our worship this Sunday to all the holy families separated at the Mexico-US border, to the mamas and papas and children being held in detention, and to the Holy Spirit who alone can change the hearts and minds of those who believe our immigration policies are just and loving.
Our children and youth will lead worship this Sunday with a traditional Christmas pageant they have been working on for weeks. It will be our final day to collect toys for the children of the Eastern Farm Workers Association – migrant farmers on Long Island who escaped the very countries the families at the border are trying to flee. Please support our partners with your gifts of new and unwrapped toys. We will get them from our families to theirs next week, just in time for their Christmas party.
Finally, your financial support of First Church Brooklyn throughout the year, makes it possible for us to support the numerous and varied families who make up our community of faith. If you have not yet submitted your estimate of giving for the 2019 year, please prayerfully consider giving at a personally meaningful level, and place your yellow card in the offering plate on Sunday. All our First Church Brooklyn families thank you for your support.
You are loved,
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Saturday, December 8th
10:00 AM - 1:00PM
Pageant Rehearsal
Sanctuary
Sunday, December 9th
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Nursery is open, 2nd floor at top of stairs
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Choir Rehearsal
Sanctuary
10:00 AM
Discussion: What Are We Waiting For?
(2nd of a three week series)
Thurman Library
11:00 AM
Worship in the Sanctuary
Christmas Pageant: "All Families Are Holy" based on various gospel texts.
Wednesday, December 12th
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Mens Fellowship Breakfast
Park Plaza Diner, Cadman Plaza West
Thursday, December 13th
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Food Pantry
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir Rehearsal
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Youthful Fellowship
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Congregation and Community News
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Advent Adult Education Series: "What Are We Waiting For?"
Sundays at 10:00 AM, Thurman Library
Do you like to wait? Waiting in lines, waiting for trains, waiting for a job offer, waiting for a test result -- many of us find these experiences irritating, if not downright excruciating. Advent, the four weeks leading into Christmas, though, is all about waiting. How can we make our peace with that? This three week series draws on Scripture and other writings to explore the experience of waiting -- why it gnaws at us, what we can learn from it, and what it is leading to.
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Advent at First Presbyterian Church Brooklyn
Children's Christmas Pageant, Sunday, December 9th, during worship.
Breakfast with Santa, Sunday, December 15th, 9:30AM & 11:00AM
Longest Night Service - Blue Christmas Service with Harp, Sunday, December 16th, 4:30PM - 6:00PM.
For some of us, the color of Christmas is blue. Need a space to decompress from the holidays? Join us for a quiet evening of healing and wholeness.
Carol of the Bells: Thursday, December 20th, 6:00PM
An interactive music and light installation on the church steps.
Christmas Caroling with the Choir in the neighborhood, 7:00PM
(Potluck party to follow in the Elliott Room)
Christmas Eve Service, Monday, December 24th, 7:00PM
Candlelight Worship
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Through Sunday, December 9th, we will be collecting new and unwrapped toys for the children of migrant farm workers. Our partnership is with The Eastern Farm Workers Association. Thank you for your gifts.
The Eastern Farmworkers Assoc. plans to distribute Christmas gifts to the farm workers' children on December 12th. There is a large carton for donations inside our side entrance. Deadline for donations is Sunday 12/9/18.
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WINTER OUTERWEAR DONATION DRIVE
The Social Action Committee is beginning FPCB's annual winter outerwear donation drive this week. Please consider donations of clean, new or gently used, outerwear for any age and size - coats, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, boots - and leave them on a back pew, on the right side of the sanctuary, as you enter from the rear. Donated items items will be taken to local shelters. Contact Jane Ehlke with any questions - jane.ehlke@gmail.com
Thank you!
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Youthful Fellowship
Thursday, December 13
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Join others in their 20s and 30s for good food and drink while we also talk about life, justice, and Jesus.
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Breakfast with Santa – Elves Needed!
Saturday, December 15th 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
Santa still needs some helpers! Seeking grocery shoppers, room set-up and decorators, pancake flippers, egg scramblers, story tellers, craft supervisors and more! To volunteer one hour or several with our annual Breakfast with Santa extravaganza, follow the link here.
To purchase tickets and join the festive fun, follow the link here. Keep in mind, this event sells out every year. Get your tickets today! Santa can't wait to see you!
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Christmas Poinsettias: If you wish to provide a poinsettia in honor of, or in memory of your loved ones, please fill out the Christmas poinsettia form. Return to the church office no later than Sunday, December 16th. The list of names received by this date will be published in the worship program for the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
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Recognition of the Spirit at Work in First Church!
We are listed as one of the Ten Top Gospel Churches in NYC! This honor belongs to the Session leadership who understands the importance of funding the arts, and to Minister of Music Amy Neuner. She is a gift from God to our church and community.
Read the article on the AM-1190 WLIB web site here!
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Four FPCB women's prison visit volunteers participated in the Church of Gethsemane's Project Connect trip to Bedford Hills. Sandra Turner, Uda Bradford, and Sarah Wyss are pictured at the BH train station, along with Rev. Lacey and members of Second Presbyterian Church of Manhattan (Mary Lynn Fiske took the photo above). The group was able to spend meaningful time with four women who are currently incarcerated.
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On Thursday, December 6th, our Food Pantry served 99 guests
with the help of 18 dedicated volunteers.
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Worship service audio is streamed live over the internet. We provide the worship bulletin on the website so that you can follow along. Tune in to worship at 11:00 AM Eastern time.
If you are away and have access to a screen, try our beta Video LIVE Stream on the page https://fb.me/FirstChurchBrooklyn/, scroll down to the video with the  logo at about 11:00 AM. This stream features multiple cameras, and sound system audio for clarity.
Want to hear a Sermon again? We have a podcast of Sermon audio. Click the "Sermon Podcast" icon, below, to subscribe.
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We're Social: Like us. Follow us. See us. Hear us. Watch us.
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Reminders and Looking Ahead
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Save the Date
Friday, January 11th, 2019
6:00PM - 10:00PM
The Elliott Room
Join us in celebrating Elders Ken Andrichik and Marcia Smith for their years of service to First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn!
Please no gifts. Donations can be made for the restoration of the Tiffany windows.
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Window restoration -- Double Your Impact
We are seeking offerings specifically to restore one of our glorious, historic Tiffany windows - the fisherman window on the north side of the sanctuary. A generous anonymous donor has offered to match all gifts made for this purpose, so the donor is willing to cover up to half of the estimated $18,000 cost. This restoration will bring out the incomparable beauty of another of our windows, and is necessary to prevent possible permanent harm. Please note "window restoration" on any check or payment made for this purpose, and submit it with the offering or by sending it to the Church office. Contact Annie, Rev. Adriene, or Stewardship co-chairs Odette Perriel and David Jones for more information.
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Save the Date - This film screening (on the Saturday of MLK Weekend) is in partnership with the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, and in addition to our Friday evening Shabbat worship, and Sunday morning worship at First Church Brooklyn.
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Sunday School Teachers Needed
Sunday school is underway for years K-5. We are still looking for volunteers to serve as teachers in the classroom. NO WEEKLY PREP (Rev. April takes care of all of that!) - just show up and be with kids!
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Men's Fellowship Breakfast gathers at the Park Plaza Diner, 220 Cadman Plaza West. They are now reading and discussing Meeting Jesus Again For the First Time by Marcus Borg. Join them every Wednesday at 7:30 AM.
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This week's eNewsletter was edited by Dianne Hutchinson . Photos were provided by Jim Johnson.
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Online Donations: Set up a recurring gift to the church through a secure online account. To set up an account or to edit an existing gift, go to First Presbyterian Church's website.
Flower Donations. We welcome flower donations of $30 or more in memory or in honor of friends and loved ones. Call Annie Solages in the Church office at 718-624-3770 or see Barbara Cummings during fellowship hour on Sundays.
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